Multispeed timing device

ABSTRACT

A TIMER HAS A MANUALLY OPERABLE DIAL FOR SETTING THE TIMER TO RUN FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME. THE TIMER INCLUDES AN ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR DRIVING THE DIAL BACK TO A ZERO SETTING POSITION. THE MOTOR DRIVES THE DIAL THROUGH A PLURALITY OF SELECTIVE DRIVE PATHS. THE TIMER INCLUDES A SHIFT MEANS COOPERABLE WITH THE DIAL AND WITH THE DRIVE PATHS. WHEN THE DIAL IS SET FOR SHORT TIME PERIODS, A HIGH SPEED DRIVE PATH IS AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED. WHEN THE DIAL IS SET FOR LONG TIME PERIODS A LOW SPEED DRIVE PATH IS ENGAGED. THE TIMER AUTOMATICALLY PROVIDES MORE ACCURATE TIMING OF SHORT TIME PERIODS.

March 9, 1971 R. A. DE LILLE ,5

' I MUL'I'ISPEED TIMING DEVICE Filed Jan. 1969 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 up Q FIG.3 I F|G.l

INVENTOR RICHARD A. DE LILLE ATTORNEYS.

March 9, 1971 R A, [)5 E MULTISPEED TIMING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS INVENTOR. RICHARD A. DE LILLE ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Oifice 3,568,429 MULTISPEED TIMING DEVICE Richard A. De Lille, Moline, Ill., assignor to E. W. Bliss Company, Canton, Ohio Filed Jan. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 788,717 Int. Cl. G04f 3/02 US. Cl. 58-2113 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A timer has a manually operable dial for setting the timer to run for a predetermined period of time. The timer includes an electric motor for driving the dial back to a zero setting position. The motor drives the dial through a plurality of selective drive paths. The timer includes a shift means cooperable with the dial and with the drive paths. When the dial is set for short time periods, a high speed drive path is automatically engaged. When the dial is set for long time periods a low speed drive path is engaged. The timer automatically provides more accurate timing of short time periods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application pertains to the art of timing and more particularly to multispeed timing devices. The invention is particularly applicable to a timing device which measures periods of time and will be described with particular reference thereto although it will be appreciated that the invention has broader applications for use in other cycling control devices than timers.

Timing devices conventionally are provided with a manually operated rotatable time setting dial. The dial is conventionally driven by a motor back to a zero position to stop the timer. Such timers are conventionally driven by a synchronous motor running at a predetermined speed and geared to the dial so that the dial rotates back to zero position at a predetermined angular rate. For example, conventional timing devices may drive the dial back to zero position at a rate of 10' degrees per minute. In such devices, a face plate on the timer is provided with time markings every 10 degrees. In such devices, it is difficult to set the dial to a time period with extreme accuracy. For example, if it is desired to time a two minute period it is quite possible, and often likely, that the dial will be one or two degrees off from the exact two minute setting. Since every degree represents six seconds of time, the timed period may be twelve seconds too long or too short. One way to overcoming this inaccuracy is to drive the dial back to zero position at a faster angular speed. For example, a timer arranged so that the dial is driven back to Zero at an angular rate of 60 degrees per minute will move one degree for each second of time. Thus, inaccurately setting the dial two degrees off from the desired two minute setting will result in a timing error of only two seconds. However, a timer arranged to rotate the dial back to zero at a fast angular speed has a limited capacity in that it can only time short periods and is not capable of timing long periods.

One way of providing a timer with a capacity to time short periods in an extremely accurate manner, while retaining the capacity of timing long periods, is to have a multispeed synchronous motor in the timer. The timer may then be provided with a double scale on its face 3,568,429 Patented Mar. 9, 1971 timing operation for a short period and may ruin the operation which is being timed.

Another prior manner of providing an accurate timing of short periods, while retaining a capacity to time long periods, has been to retard the driving motion of a mechanical driver. In such devices, a friction brake or other retarder acts on the power source so that the timer runs at a slower speed for short time settings. This is somewhat analogous to having a multispeed electric motor and is much more inaccurate. It is very diflicult to accurately brake or retard motion of a driving source in an extremely accurate manner. The inaccuracy of the braking or retarding force will often create more error in short timed periods than does the inaccuracy of a setting which is off one or two degrees.

Other prior arrangements for accurately timing short periods, while retaining a capacity to time long periods, has been to provide two different mechanical drive paths from the motor to the dial. In such arrangements, at first mechanical drive may rotate the dial at a rate of ten degrees per minute while a second mechanical drive will rotate the dial at sixty degrees per minute. In such prior arrangements, a separate shift lever has been provided to change the mechanical drive paths from a low speed to a high speed condition. Thus, when it was desired to accurately time a short period, the dial is set to a desirable short time period and the operator must then actuate a separate shift lever so that the timer is driven at a higher speed. The necessity of having the operator perform two operations of setting the dial and also operating the shift lever is very time consuming and also may lead to extreme inaccuracies in a timed operation. For example, an operator shifting the timer to a high speed condition and timing a short time period may forget to operate the shift lever back to a slow speed drive condition. For a succeeding operation, the operator may wish to time a long period and accordingly set the dial to the long time period. If the operator forgets to shift the drive back to a slow speed condition, the timer will operate with extreme inaccuracy for the long time period setting.

It would be desirable to provide a timer which automatically runs at a high speed to accurately time short time settings and would automatically run at a lower speed to time long time periods.

SUMMARY In accordance With the present invention, a multispeed timer includes a manual setting dial movable from a zero position to a plurality of short time periods and to a plurality of long time periods. A motor drives the setting pointer back to its zero position through a plurality of selectively different speed drive paths. More specifically, two selective drive paths are provided with one being a high speed drive and the other being a low speed drive. In the preferred arrangement, the drive paths are selectively engageable so that the dial will be driven selectively at either a high rate of speed or at a low rate of speed. In accordance with the present invention, the timing device includes a shift means cooperable with the setting dial for automatically engaging the appropriate drive path in accordance with the time period set on the dial. More specifically, setting a short time period on the setting dial automatically engages the high speed drive path so that the timer runs at a high rate of speed for highly accurate timing of short periods. In addition, setting the dial at a long time period automatically engages the low speed drive so that the timer is driven at a low rate of speed for long timing periods. In the preferred embodiment, the selective drive paths include a pair of different size gears rotatably mounted on a carrier memher is pivotally mounted on an axis coincidental,

with a drive gear on the motor shaft. The setting dial includes a gear which is drivable by the gears on the carrier member. The setting dial also includes cam means for shifting the carrier member to engage the appropriate drive. gears in accordance'with the time period set on the timer dial.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a. timing, device with high and low speed drives, and with means for automatically selectively engaging the appropriate drive in accordance with the time period set on the timer dial.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a timing device. which automatically times at a more accurate rate for short time periods and retains a function of timing long periods of time. Itis an additional object of the present invention to provide a timing device with two different gear drive paths, each of which drives the timer at a different speed, and wherein cam means on the setting dial automatically engages the desirable gear drive path in accordance with the time set by the dial.

his a further object of the present invention to provide such a timing device wherein the time setting dial is rotatable for both setting time and for engaging a high orlow speed drive in accordance with the time set on the dial.

, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING part hereof.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a timing device having the selective drive speed arrangement of the present invention embodied therein;

FIG, 2 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

1 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken on line 4-4of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 2;

a FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken on line of FIG. 2 and showing the selective driving 'speed arrangement of the present invention in a high speed condition:

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken on the same line as FIG. 6 and showing the selective drive speed arrangement of the present invention in a low speed drive condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting same, FIG. 1 shows a timing device A having a dial plate B and a manual time setting pointer C.

As shown in FIG. 2, timing device A may include a housing or casing D which may be molded of plastic material although other materials may also be used. Housing D may have upper and lower mounting flanges 12 and 141 having holes 16, 18, and 22 therein for receiving bolts of screws to mount timing device A on a support. Housing has a front circumferential wall 26 projecting radially inward therefrom to define a circular opening 28. Wall 26 also provides a shoulder 32 against which the forward face of a gasket 34 abuts. Gasket 34 has a circumferential channel 35 therein receiving the peripheral edge of circular face plate B.

t The inside surface of housing D around circular opening 28 is provided with threaded bores 36., 38, and 42.

4 The ends of threaded bolts are received in bores 36-42 and only two of the bolts are shown at 46 and 48 in FIG. 2. Each bolt as at 46 and 48 has a tubular sleeve and 52 thereon for spacing front and rear plates 54 and 56 of timing device A. Plates 54 and 56 are provided with suitable holes through which bolts as 46 and 48 may pass. Bolts 46 and 48 are threaded into bores 36 and 42 with the enlarged headed ends of bolts 46 and 48 hearing against the outer surface of plate 56 to hold plate 56 to housing D. Sleeve 50 and 52 press plate 54 against a side surface of gasket 34 to hold face plate B in position on housing D.

Dial plate B, and plates 54 and 56 are provided with axially aligned centrally located holes 60, 62 and 64. Holes 62 and 64 have sleeve bearings 66 and 68 mounted therein. A dial shaft 70 extends through hole in dial plate B and is rotatably received in bearings 66 and 68. Setting pointer C has a bore 74 receiving shaft and a hole 76 formed laterally therein intersects bore 74 for receiving a set screw 78 to lock setting pointer C to shaft 70 against rotation.

A miniature electric switch F is secured within the lower part of housing D in any suitable manner as by having bolts 48 and 49 extend through holes 82 and 84 in the housing of switch F. In the arrangement shown, switch F is normally open and is actuated to an on position by reciprocating actuator 86 inwardly towards the housing of miniature switch F. The housing of switch F may be provided with a tang 88 for pivotally mounting an actuator rod 90 on pivot 92. Actuator rod 90 may also have a tang 94 rotatably mounting a roller 96 on pivot 98.

A cam member 102 has a central hole 104 through which shaft 70 extends and cam 102 is non-rotatably secured to shaft 70 by set screw 106. Cam member 102 includes a peripheral notched portion 108 in which roller 96 may be received as shown in FIG. 4. Cam member 102 is positioned on shaft 70 so that its peripheral edge is in alignment with the periphery of roller 96: so that roller 96 will ride on the peripheral edge of cam 102 as cam 102 is rotated.

Setting pointer C is provided with a radially extending pointer 112 for setting a desired time of the dial on dial plate B. The face of dial plate B is provided with indicia showing a plurality of time settings. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, pointer 112 is at a zero point marked on dial plate B and this corresponds with the off position of timing device A. Also in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, dial plate B is marked over substantially degrees with short time periods setting of from zero to three minutes. In addition, dial plate B is marked with long time period setting from any time over three minutes up to fifteen minutes. In the arrangement shown, the time from zero to three minutes is marked over 180 degrees of dial plate B so that each 10 degree increment on dial plate B from zero to three minutes represents ten seconds of time. The markings on dial plate B between three and fifteen minutes are also spaced 10 degrees apart so that each 10 degree increment between three and fifteen minutes represents a full sixty seconds.

Setting pointer C and cam 102 are adjusted so that when pointer 11 2 is at the zero point as shown in FIG. 1, notch 108 in the periphery of cam 102 is receiving roller 96 as shown in FIG. 4. In this condition, switch F is open and timing device A is not operating. When'setting pointer C is rotated counter-clockwise in FIG. 1, cam 102 rotates with shaft 70 so that notch 108 is moved out of receiving position for roller 96, and outer surface 118 of cam 102 contacts roller 96 to pivot actuator 90 about pivot 92 and reciprocate switch actuator 86 inward for turning normally open switch F on. Of course, it is also possible that switch F can be normally closed and notch 108 replaced with a projection to pivot actuator 90 and hold switch F open in the zero point position of dial plate B. Rotation of cam 102 would then allow actuator 90 to pivot outwardly away from switch F so that actuator would move outwardly to close switch F.

A synchronous electric motor G and transmission H are secured to the rear of plate 56 on timing device A as by bolts 120 and nuts 122. Bolts 120 may extend through suitable holes in plate '56. Transmission H includes a drive shaft 126 extending through a suitable hole in plate 56 and a gear 128 is secured to drive shaft .126 for rotation therewith.

A carrier member I has substantially parallel spacedapart front and rear legs 130 and 132 provided with holes for receiving drive shaft 126. C-rings 134 and 136 may be provided in suitable circumferential grooves in drive shaft 126 to prevent carrier member I from sliding axially off from drive shaft 126. Carrier member J is pivotable with respect to drive shaft 126 for a purpose which will presently be described. Leg 130 of carrier member I is provided with shafts 140 and 142 on which low speed gear 144 and high speed gear 146 are rotatably mounted. Both of gears 144 and 146 are constantly meshed with gear 128. Low speed gear .144 includes a reduced gear 150 integral therewith.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, shaft 70 receives a dial drive gear 152 having a smaller diameter gear 154 integral therewith. Shaft 70 is provided with a circumferential groove 156 receiving a C-ring- 158. Shaft 70 is also provided with a shoulder 160 against which the front face of gear 154 abuts. Gears 152 and 154 are rotatably mounted relative to shaft 70 and a friction clutch defined by spring member 162 bears against C-ring 158 and the rear face of gear 152 to provide a friction drive connection between gear 152 and shaft 70. This type of spring clutch arrangement is well known and allows shaft 70 to be man ually rotated by means of setting pointer C when gear 152 or 154 are held against rotation. However, release of dial C provides very little resistance to rotation of shaft 70 and the spring clutch is sufficient to rotate shaft 70 when gears 152 or 154 are rotatably driven.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, leg 1130 of carrier member J is provided with shafts 170 and 172 on which rollers 174 and 176 are rotatably mounted. A cam member M is received on shaft 170 and fixed against rotation relative thereto as by set screw 180. Cam member M is provided with a large diameter peripheral cam portion 182 defined between sloping portions 184 and 186-. Cam member M has a small diameter cam'portion 190 on the opposite side of cam member M from large diameter cam portion 182. As shown in FIG. 3, roller 176 extends outwardly further from leg 130 of carrier member I than does roller 174. Roller 17 6 rides on one-half the thickness of cam member M while roller I174 rides on the other half. In this manner, a recess as at 194 in FIGS. 2 and may be provided to receive roller $174 at a certain position of roller 176 on large diameter cam portion 182. In this fashion, the engagement of rollers 174 and 176 with the respective cam surfaces-may be varied a larger degree to provide shifting of carrier member I at many selected degrees of rotation of cam member M.

With pointer 112 of setting pointer C arranged at the zero point as shown in FIG. 1, notch 108 of switch cam 102 receives switch actuating roller 96 and switch F is off. Also in this position, large cam surface 182 of shifting cam M is engaging the periphery of roller 176 to hold carrier member I in a counter-clockwise shifted position as shown in FIG. 5 while roller 174 is received in recess 194. In this condition, both low speed gear 144 and high speed gear 146 are in driving engagement with drive gear 128 on drive shaft 126. However, only high speed gear 146 is in driving engagement with dial shaft gear 154. Gear 150 on low speed gear 144 is completely out of engagement with dial shaft gear 152. In this condition, the drive through transmission H from motor G, through drive gear 128 on drive shaft 126, and through high speed gear 146 to dial shaft gear 154, will drive 6 shaft 70 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5 at a rate of 60 degrees per minute.

When it is desired to time a short time period such as one minute, setting pointer C is rotated counter clockwise until pointer 112 is aligned with the one minute marking on dial plate B. Switch cam 102 will then be rotated so that roller 96 is out of notch portion 108 and riding on the periphery 11-8 of switch cam 102. This moves switch F on to energize synchronous motor G which is connected with switch F by suitable electrical wiring in a well known manner. With pointer 11-12 of setting pointer C on the one minute mark on dial plate B, the other parts are positioned as shown in FIG. 6. Large diameter cam surface 182 of cam M is bearing against roller 1% to hold carrier J in a counter clockwise pivoted position. High speed gear 146 is drivingly engaged with drive gear 128 and dial shaft gear 154. Drive shaft 126 and drive gear 128 are driven clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6 by motor G through transmission H. High speed gear 146 is driven counter clockwise by drive gear 126 and high speed gear 146 in turn drives dial shaft gear 154 in clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6. With this drive gear arrangement, pointer 112 of setting pointer C is driven clockwise back to the zero point position at a rate of 60 degrees per minute. Switch cam 102 also rotates back with shaft 70 until roller 96 of switch actuator once again enters notch 108 on switch cam 102 to open switch F and deenergize motor 6 at the zero point positionof pointer 112. It will be noted from FIG. 6 that large diameter cam surface 182 of cam M extends over substantially degrees so that high speed gear 146 is in driving engagement with dial shaft gear 154 from the zero point setting on dial plate B to the three minute point setting. Thus, for any setting of pointer 112 between zero and three minutes, pointer 112 is rotated clockwise back to its zero position by motor G at a rate of 60 degrees per minute.

For a long period time setting, setting pointer C is manually rotated counter clockwise until pointer 112 is aligned at say the four minute marking on dial plate B. The friction clutch described with reference to FIG. 3 allows manual turning of all the parts without any binding between dial shaft gears 152 or 154 and the high or low speed gear with which they are engaged. In a long period time setting, the parts are arranged as shown in FIG. 7. When pointer i112 reaches the three minute mark on dial plate B, roller 176 will fall off of large diameter cam surface 1182 of cam M onto small diameter cam surface 190, At the same time, roller 174 will be moved from from small diameter cam surface onto large diameter cam surface 182. This pivots carrier member I clockwise as viewed in 'FIG. 7 about drive shaft 126 to disengage high speed gear 146 from dial shaft gear 154. At the same time, small diameter gear 150 on low speed gear 144 moves into driving engagement with dial shaft gear 152. Motor G is energized by means of switch F as previously described to rotate drive gear 128 clockwise in FIG. 7. Engagement between drive gear 128 and low speed gear 1144 causes rotation of low speedgear 144 counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. 7. The engagement between small diameter gear 150 and dial shaft gear 152 then causes dial shaft gear 152 to be driven clockwise as viewed in FIG. 7 to rotate setting pointer C and move pointer 112 back toward the zero point position. With this gearing arrangement, pointer 112 is rotated back toward the zero point position from a long period time setting at a rate of ten degrees per minute until the three minute marking is reached at which point roller 174 will fall off from large diameter cam surface 182 onto small diameter cam surface .190 while roller 176 moves from small diameter cam surface 190 onto large diameter cam surface 182 to once again engage the high speed drive. Pointer 112 would then be driven back to the zero point position at a rate of 60 degrees per minute.

As shown in FIG. 5, a tension spring S may have one hooked end 202 extending through a suitable hole in carrier member I and an opposite hooked end 204 engaged over a sleeve 53 on bolt 49. Hooked end 204 of spring S may engage any projection or screw within housing D of timing device A. Tension spring S then biases carrier member J clockwise as viewed in FIG. about drive shaft 126 to normally hold high speed gear 146 in engagement with dial. shaft gear 154. Operation of the device in other respects is the same as previously described. Once cam M is rotated over 180 degrees counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5, roller 174 will move from small diameter cam surface 190 onto large diameter cam surface 182 and shift carrier member I clockwise against the biasing force of spring S in order to disengage the high speed drive and engage the low speed drive.

With the present arrangement, it is possible to time short preiods with a high degree of accuracy while maintaining a capability of timing long periods. For example, in a timer arranged to rotate the pointer back to a zero point at a rate of degrees per minute, a two degree error in setting the pointer at say the ten minute mark will give a timed period of either 10.2 minutes or 9.8 minutes. With the same timer, an error of two degrees in setting the pointer at the one minute mark will cause the timer to actually time either in 1.2 minutes or 0.8 minute. With the timer moving the dial back to the zero point position at a rate of only 10 degrees per minute this would produce an error of which is completely unacceptable in most operations. In accordance with the present invention, pointer 112 is driven back to the zero point position at a rate of 60 degrees per minute from short period time settings. Therefore, an inaccurate setting of 2 degrees for a one minute time period will cause the timer to actually time either 5 8 seconds or 62 seconds. This is an error of only 3 /3 which is quite acceptable for most operations.

It will be understood that shift cam M and rollers 174 and 176 may be arranged so that the high speed drive is in operation only from the zero point to the two minute marking or from the zero point to some other marking such as four minutes if so desired.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is obvious that modifications and alterations will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of this specification.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A multispeed timing device comprising; setting means for setting said timing device to predetermined timing periods, power means for driving said setting means, first and second selectively engageable drive train means between said power means and said setting means, carrier means movably mounted on said timing device, said first and second drive train means being carried by said carrier means, and cooperable shift means between said setting means and said carrier means for moving said carrier means to engage said first drive train means and disengage said second drive train means when said setting means is set to long time periods and to move said carrier means to engage said second drive train means and disengage said first drive train means when said setting means is set to short time periods.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said power means includes a power drive shaft and said carrier means is pivotally mounted on a carrier pivot axis coincidental with the longitudinal axis of said power drive shaft.

3. A timing device including an electric motor having a drive shaft, a drive gear on said drive shaft, carrier means pivotally mounted on a carrier axis coincidental with the longitudinal axis of said drive shaft, said carrier means having first and second different size driven gears rotatably mounted thereon, said first and second driven gears being drivingly engaged with said drive gear, said first gear defining a high speed drive gear and said second gear defining a low speed drive gear, rotatable setting means for setting said timing device to predetermined timing periods, said setting means being manually movable from a zero position to a plurality of short time setting positions and to a plurality of long time setting positions, said setting means including timing gear means selectively engageable with said first and second driven gears for driving said setting means by said motor from said timing positions to said zero position, said setting means and carrier means havingcooperable cam and cam follower means thereon, said cooperable cam and cam follower means cooperating to pivot said carrier means about said carrier axis for engaging said high speed driven gear with said timing gear means when said setting means is positioned at said short time setting positions and for engaging said low speed driven gear with said timing gear means when said setting means is positioned at said long time setting positions.

4. The device of claim 3 and further including resilient biasing means for biasing said carrier means about said carrier pivot axis to engage one of said first and second driven gears with said timing gear means in one of said long and short timing period positions of said setting means.

5. The device of claim 3 and further including switch means for energizing said motor, said setting means cooperating with said switch means to energize said motor in said timing positions and to de-energize said motor in said zero position.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein said setting means includes setting shaft means, and friction clutch means drivingly connecting said timing gear means with said setting shaft means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,261,723 11/1941 Hofiman 582l.l3 2,667,921 2/1954 Doyle 58-229 2,670,794 3/1954 Gallagher 58-38 2,864,443 12/ 1958 Niemand 58-39.5 3,431,720 3/1969 Ehner et a1. 58--22.9

STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Primary Examiner L. R. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 58-229, 39.5 

